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Short Ribs with Wine and Cream
I've been making this recipe for about four years now, ever since I stopped trying to serve short ribs on a weeknight and accepted that they actually need time. The first batch came out great but was too rich without enough wine, so I started adding an extra cup of broth and letting the whole thing simmer longer than I thought necessary.
Ingredients
Method
- Season the short ribs generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the ribs for about 3 minutes per side until deeply colored. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to the pot and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add carrots and celery, cooking for 4 minutes more.
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste. Add tomato paste and stir well.
- Pour in red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Let it bubble and reduce by about half, roughly 3 minutes.
- Return the ribs to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Add beef broth until the liquid reaches halfway up the sides of the meat. Tuck in thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
- Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, then transfer to a preheated 325°F oven. Braise for 2½ hours or until the ribs are fork-tender. Check once during cooking — if the liquid is evaporating too quickly, add more broth.
- Remove from the oven and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Use tongs to transfer ribs to a serving platter. Skim excess fat from the surface of the sauce with a spoon.
- Stir in heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Return ribs to the pot briefly to warm through, or serve separately with the sauce ladled over top.
Nutrition
Notes
The real secret is browning the meat properly before braising — you want a good crust, not just browned edges. When I rush this step, the sauce never has the same depth. Once the ribs are tender enough to pull apart with a fork, I reduce the liquid and fold in heavy cream at the very end for a silky finish that coats everything without feeling heavy.
I serve it over mashed potatoes or polenta, sometimes with roasted carrots on the side. The dish keeps well in the fridge for up to four days, and actually tastes better the next day as the flavors deepen further.
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